Linz, Europa and the World
In addition to offerings having to do with Linz’s past, the process of urban development here and everyday life in Upper Austria’s capital, Linz09’s lineup will also be highlighting European and international issues. For instance, The European Green Belt exhibition will focus on the unique ecosystem where wilderness meets cultivated stretches along what used to be the Iron Curtain. Besides publicly presenting this international conservation project, the point here is to raise an important question: In which direction can (and should) the border regions in the heart of Europe develop in the future (June 4, 2009 to January 8, 2010, Schlossmuseum Linz).The focal point of the Extra Europa conference is occupied by three European countries that are not members of the European Union: Turkey, Switzerland and Norway. Examining the reasons for their non-membership provides an interesting way to approach the issue of European cultural identity. This conclave will also feature an international cultural festival (March 19 to May 2, 2009) with three country-focused themes: equal rights for women (Norway), multilingualism and multiculturalism (Switzerland), and exchange between the Ottoman Empire and Europe (Turkey).
Whoever returns from an extended journey has much to tell and brings back many impressions. And so it is with Hubert von Goisern: at the Linz Europa Harbor Festival, he’ll be reunited with the artists he encountered on both legs of his Linz Europa Tour 2007-2009—sailing down the Danube to the Black Sea and then up the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal to Rotterdam. Concerts featuring music from East and West will revive what emerged over the course of that musical journey—a Europe that is growing together (July 3-5, 2009).
